Reproductive biology of two macrourid fish, Nezumia aequalis and Coelorinchus mediterraneus, inhabiting the NW Mediterranean continental margin (400-2000m)

Nezumia aequalis and Coelorinchus mediterraneus are abundant species on the upper and lower continental slopes, respectively, in the Mediterranean Sea. A study on the reproductive strategy of the two species was conducted on the Catalan margin (NW Mediterranean). The reproductive cycle of both species was investigated using visual analyses of gonads and histological screening. The shallower species, N. aequalis, showed continuous reproduction with a peak of spawning females in winter months. In contrast, the deeper-living species, C. mediterraneus, showed semi-continuous reproduction with a regression period during the spring. Juveniles of N. aequalis were present in all seasons, but most abundant in the spring. Only two juveniles of C. mediterraneus were found. Both species had asynchronous oocyte development. The average fecundity of N. aequalis was 10,630 oocytes per individual, lower than known for the same species in the Atlantic Ocean. The fecundity of C. mediterraneus was measured for the first time in this study, with an average of 7693 oocytes per individual. Males of both species appear to have semi-cystic spermatogenesis. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Growth and carbon isotopes of Mediterranean trees reveal contrasting responses to increased carbon dioxide and drought

Forest dynamics will depend upon the physiological performance of individual tree species under more stressful conditions caused by climate change. In order to compare the idiosyncratic responses of Mediterranean tree species (Quercus faginea, Pinus nigra, Juniperus thurifera) coexisting in forests of central Spain, we evaluated the temporal changes in secondary growth (basal area increment; BAI) and intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) during the last four decades, determined how coexisting species are responding to increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations (Ca) and drought stress, and assessed the relationship among iWUE and growth during climatically contrasting years. All species increased their iWUE (ca. +15 to +21 %) between the 1970s and the 2000s. This increase was positively related to Ca for J. thurifera and to higher Ca and drought for Q. faginea and P. nigra. During climatically favourable years the study species either increased or maintained their growth at rising iWUE, suggesting a higher CO2 uptake. However, during unfavourable climatic years Q. faginea and especially P. nigra showed sharp declines in growth at enhanced iWUE, likely caused by a reduced stomatal conductance to save water under stressful dry conditions. In contrast, J. thurifera showed enhanced growth also during unfavourable years at increased iWUE, denoting a beneficial effect of Ca even under climatically harsh conditions. Our results reveal significant inter-specific differences in growth driven by alternative physiological responses to increasing drought stress. Thus, forest composition in the Mediterranean region might be altered due to contrasting capacities of coexisting tree species to withstand increasingly stressful conditions. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Bioactive compounds present in the Mediterranean sofrito

Sofrito is a key component of the Mediterranean diet, a diet that is strongly associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events. In this study, different Mediterranean sofritos were analysed for their content of polyphenols and carotenoids after a suitable work-up extraction procedure using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation-linear ion trap quadrupole-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap- MS) and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS-MS). In this way, 40 polyphenols (simple phenolic and hydroxycinnamoylquinic acids, and flavone, flavonol and dihydrochalcone derivatives) were identified with very good mass accuracy (<2 mDa), and confirmed by accurate mass measurements in MS and MS2 modes. The high-resolution MS analyses revealed the presence of polyphenols never previously reported in Mediterranean sofrito. The quantification levels of phenolic and carotenoid compounds led to the distinction of features among different Mediterranean sofritos according to the type of vegetables (garlic and onions) or olive oil added for their production. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estudo moleculares das regiões cromossômicas 18p e 18q proximal em portadores de gagueira persistente da familial

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

O gene PHF21B como candidato a predisposição familia em familial em cânceres de cabeça e pescoço

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The thermal stability of yellow fever vaccines

The assessment of yellow fever vaccine thermostability both in lyophilized form and after reconstitution were analyzed. Two commercial yellow fever vaccines were assayed for their thermal stability. Vaccines were exposed to test temperatures in the range of 8 (graus) C to 45 (graus) C. Residual infectivity was measured by a plaque assay using Vero cells. The titre values were used in an accelerated degradation test that follows the Arrhenius equation and the minimum immunizing dose was assumed to be 10 (ao cubo) particles forming unit (pfu)/dose. Some of the most relevant results include that (i) regular culture medium show the same degradation pattern of a reconstituted 17D-204 vaccine; (ii) reconstituted YF-17D-204 showed a predictable half life of more than six days if kept at 0 (graus) C; (iii) there are differences in thermostability between different products that are probably due to both presence of stabilizers in the preparation and the modernization in the vaccine production; (iv) it is important to establish a proper correlation between the mouse infectivity test and the plaque assay since the last appears to be more simple, economical, and practical for small laboratories to assess the potency of the vaccine, and (v) the accelerated degradation test appears to be the best procedure to quantify the thermostability of biological products.

Perfil mutacional do gene APC em pacientes com polipose adenomatosa familial no estado do Pará

O câncer colorretal é um grave problema de saúde pública na região norte, sendo a 3a neoplasia mais frequente entre os homens e a 2a entre as mulheres. Cerca de 10% destes tumores são hereditários e a polipose adenomatosa familial está entre as principais causas destes. Mutações no gene APC são responsáveis pelo desenvolvimento de tumores nestes pacientes e estão presentes desde a fase mais precoce na carcinogênese, além disso, existe uma relação entre o tipo de mutação e apresentação clínica da doença. Até o presente momento não existe uma publicação com o perfil de mutação do gene APC na região norte do país. Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal, identificar o perfil de mutações no gene APC em famílias do estado do Pará. Um total de 15 pacientes foi analisado provenientes de cinco famílias, todos atendidos no UNACON do HUJBB. Foi realizado a extração de DNA do sangue periférico e realizado um sequenciamento direto em um membro de cada família, obtendo desta forma um screening molecular e os demais membros da família foram genotipados pela técnica ARMS. A análise estatística foi realizada pelos softwares que acompanham o próprio produto. Neste estudo foram encontrados mutações nos 15 membros estudados (provenientes das 5 famílias), 40% das quais eram do tipo frameshift, 35% silenciadoras e 20% nonsense. Sendo que 60% de todas as mutações ocorreram na região MCR. Entre as três mutações mais frequentes na literatura, neste estudo foram encontradas duas: códon 1309 (em 40% dos indivíduos) e no códon 1061 (em 10% dos indivíduos). Estes números foram bem diferentes dos encontrados na literatura, reforçando o papel da miscigenação na frequência das mutações. A mutação c.3956delC foi a única encontrada em todas as famílias analisadas, o que pode comportar-se como um forte biomarcador desta síndrome. A avaliação clínica dos pacientes confirmou a correlação genótipo/fenótipo, sendo um fator determinante para o direcionamento clínico e aconselhamento genético. A plataforma confeccionada para análise de mutações pela técnica ARMS será de grande utilidade, já que conseguiu detectar mutações no 15 indivíduos estudados a um custo bem inferior que o sequenciamento direto por PCR.

Perfil da fluência: análise comparativa entre gagueira desenvolvimental persistente familial e isolada

PURPOSE: to evaluate and compare the fluency between the familial and the sporadic persistent developmental stuttering, characterizing the typology and the frequency of the disfluencies, the speech rate and the severity of the stuttering. METHOD: 40 participants aged from 6 to 42 years old, divided in two groups with twenty participants in each one: Familial Persistent Developmental Stuttering and Sporadic Persistent Developmental Stuttering. The procedures used were: clinical and familial history, assessment of fluency and Stuttering Severity Instrument. RESULTS: there were no statistically significant differences between the groups regarding the frequency of stuttering like disfluencies, the flow of syllables and words per minute and the severity of stuttering. It was noted a tendency of the group with familial stuttering to show a bigger variability of the severity of stuttering, going from mild to very severe, whereas in the group with sporadic stuttering, the severity varied from mild to severe. CONCLUSION: this study represents the first effort to the characterization of the speech fluency profile of the subgroups of people who stutter, namely familial persistent developmental stuttering and sporadic persistent developmental stuttering. It is possible to conclude that the speech fluency profile of people who stutter, independently of the familial history, is similar. It is noteworthy that the occurrence of some stuttering-like disfluencies, monosyllabic word repetition, block and intrusion were different between groups.

Yellow fever: reemerging in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2009

OBJECTIVE: To describe the investigation of a sylvatic yellow fever outbreak in the state of Sao Paulo and the main control measures undertaken.METHODS: This is a descriptive study of a sylvatic yellow fever outbreak in the Southwestern region of the state from February to April 2009. Suspected and confirmed cases in humans and in non-human primates were evaluated. Entomological investigation in sylvatic environment involved capture at ground level and in the tree canopy to identify species and detect natural infections. Control measures were performed in urban areas to control Aedes aegypti. Vaccination was directed at residents living in areas with confirmed viral circulation and also at nearby cities according to national recommendation.RESULTS: Twenty-eight human cases were confirmed (39.3% case fatality rate) in rural areas of Sarutaia, Piraju, Tejupa, Avare, and Buri. The deaths of 56 non-human primates were also reported, 91.4% were Allouatta sp. Epizootics was confirmed in two non-human primates in the cities of Itapetininga and Buri. A total of 1,782 mosquitoes were collected, including Haemagogus leucocelaenus, Hg. janthinomys/capricornii, and Sabethes chloropterus, Sa. purpureus and Sa. undosus. Yellow fever virus was isolated from a group of Hg. Leucocelaenus from Buri. Vaccination was carried out in 49 cities, with a total of 1,018,705 doses. Nine serious post-vaccination adverse events were reported.CONCLUSIONS: The cases occurred between February and April 2009 in areas with no recorded yellow fever virus circulation in over 60 years. The outbreak region occurred outside the original recommended vaccination area with a high percentage of susceptible population. The fast adoption of control measures interrupted the human transmission within a month and the confirmation of viral circulation in humans, monkeys and mosquitoes. The results allowed the identification of new areas of viral circulation but further studies are required to clarify the dynamics of the spread of this disease.

Recent and future environmental suitability to dengue fever in Brazil using species distribution model

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Genetic Correlation for Pre-Weaning and Post-Weaning Traits of Mediterranean Buffaloes from Brazil, Estimated By Bayesian Inference

The aim of this study was to estimate genetic, environmental and phenotypic correlation between birth weight (BW) and weight at 205 days age (W205), BW and weight at 365 days age (W365) and W205-W365, using Bayesian inference. The Brazilian Program for Genetic Improvement of Buffaloes provided the data that included 3,883 observations from Mediterranean breed buffaloes. With the purpose to estimate variance and covariance, bivariate analyses were performed using Gibbs sampler that is included in the MTGSAM software. The model for BW, W205 and W365 included additive direct and maternal genetic random effects, maternal environmental random effect and contemporary group as fixed effect. The convergence diagnosis was achieved using Geweke, a method that uses an algorithm implemented in R software through the package Bayesian Output Analysis. The calculated direct genetic correlations were 0.34 (BW-W205), 0.25 (BW-W365) and 0.74 (W205-W365). The environmental correlations were 0.12, 0.11 and 0.72 between BW-W205, BW-W365 and W205-W365, respectively. The phenotypic correlations were low for BW-W205 (0.01) and BW-W365 (0.04), differently than the obtained for W205-W365 with a value of 0.67. The results indicate that BW trait have low genetic, environmental and phenotypic association with the two others traits. The genetic correlation between W205 and W365 was high and suggests that the selection for weight at around 205 days could be beneficial to accelerate the genetic gain.

Genetic Parameters for Growth Traits of Mediterranean Buffaloes from Brazil, Estimated By Bayesian Inference

Quantitative analysis of growth genetic parameters is not available for many breeds of buffaloes making selection and breeding decisions an empirical process that lacks robustness. The objective of this study was to estimate heritability for birth weight (BW), weight at 205 days (W205) and 365 days (W365) of age using Bayesian inference. The Brazilian Program for Genetic Improvement of Buffaloes provided the data. For the traits BW, W205 and W365 of Brazilian Mediterranean buffaloes 5169, 3792 and 3883 observations have been employed for the analysis, respectively. In order to obtain the estimates of variance, univariate analyses were conducted using the Gibbs sampler included in the MTGSAM software. The model for BW, W205 and W365 included additive direct and maternal genetic random effects, random maternal permanent environmental effect and contemporary group that was treated as a fixed effect. The convergence diagnosis was performed employing Geweke, a method that uses an algorithm from the Bayesian Output Analysis package that was implemented using R software environment. The average values for weight traits were 37.6 +/- 4.7 kg for BW, 192.7 +/- 40.3 kg for W205 and 298.6 +/- 67.4 kg for W365. The heritability posterior distributions for direct and maternal effects were symmetric and close to those expected in a normal distribution. Direct heritability estimates obtained using the modes were 0.30 (BW), 0.52 (W205) and 0.54 (W365). The maternal heritability coefficient estimates were 0.31, 0.19 and 0.21 for BW, W205 and W365, respectively. Our data suggests that all growth traits and mainly W205 and W365, have clear potential for yield improvement through direct genetic selection.

Reconsideration of histopathology and ultrastructural aspects of the human liver in yellow fever

Yellow fever is a re-emerging infectious disease that currently is at risk of urbanization due to the advance of the Aedes aegypti vector. The disease affects about 200,000 individuals annually, mainly in tropical Africa and South America. It causes severe disease involving especially the liver, with lesions characterized by midzonal steatosis, apoptosis and lytic necrosis of the hepatocytes. Quantitative histological and immunohistochemical analysis of 53 human hepatic samples demonstrated apoptosis, steatosis and lytic necrosis of hepatocytes with midzonal pattern. No substantial alterations and reticular network were observed. The inflammatory infiltrate consisted of mononuclear cells and intensity was minimal or moderate, disproportionate to the intense death of the hepatocytes. Hepatic damage in yellow fever resulted mainly from a massive death of hepatocytes due to apoptosis and to a lesser extent due to lytic necrosis. It is recommended that therapeutic regimens for serious cases should include measures to protect against apoptosis. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estudos moleculares das regiões cromossômicas 7q31 e 7q34 em portadores de gagueira persistente familial

A gagueira é um distúrbio no ritmo da fala no qual o indivíduo sabe precisamente o que quer dizer, mas ao mesmo tempo é incapaz de dizê-lo devido à repetição involuntária, ao prolongamento ou à cessação do som. Este distúrbio da comunicação acomete cerca de 1 a 2 % da população mundial, e esta freqüência varia de acordo com a idade, sendo mais comum em crianças com idade pré-escolar (de 2,4 a 5%); e com o sexo (3 M : 1 F). Desde a década de 50 a gagueira vem sendo estudada por fonoaudiólogos e geneticistas. Vários fatores são tidos na literatura como de risco para o desenvolvimento da gagueira persistente, dentre os quais destacamos: idade, sexo, tipo e tempo de duração das disfluências, outros distúrbios fonoaudiológicos, características secundárias, fatores genéticos, comportamentos familiares e outros. Desta forma, a gagueira não deve ser tratada como uma entidade nosológica única, pois apresenta característica multidimensional e multifatorial. Dentre os principais fatores que sugerem etiologia genética para a gagueira destacamos: 1)Gagueira presente em agregados familiais; 2)Maior probabilidade de se desenvolver em indivíduos consanguíneos; 3)Semelhança dos traços fenotípicos característicos, independente da língua e cultura; 4)Maior concordância entre gêmeos monozigóticos do que em gêmeos dizigóticos. A triagem genômica em famílias de gagos provenientes do Paquistão, e dos Estados Unidos, Suécia e Israel indicaram uma possível ligação da gagueira com o cromossomo 7. O objetivo deste trabalho foi a análise de ligação nas regiões cromossômicas 7q31 e 7q34 através de marcadores microssatélites em 31 famílias brasileiras com gagueira persistente, com mais de um indivíduo gago em idade acima de 6 anos. Utilizou-se para a classificação da gagueira, o SSI aplicado por profissionais especializados nesta disfluência... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo)